Sports glove

ABSTRACT

There is provided a sports glove that can improve hard-slipperiness and a good fit in comparison to conventional gloves. In the sports glove, a leather member is disposed on a palmar portion as well as on palmar sides of a middle finger, a ring finger, and a little finger, and the leather member is made of natural leather and has a front side and a backside each applied with a grain side. Therefore, slipperiness is suppressed between a hand and the sports glove as well as between the sports glove and a member such as a bat, and the grain side is applied to a surface in contact with the hand, so that the good fit can be provided.

This nonprovisional application is based on Japanese Patent ApplicationNo. 2008-91671 filed on Mar. 31, 2008 and No. 2009-080101 filed on Mar.27, 2009 with the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sports glove, more specifically to asports glove made of hardly-slippery natural leather providing a goodfit.

2. Description of the Background Art

Conventionally, a glove stitched such that a leather grain side is leftto be located on a surface of the glove is known as the sports glovemade of the natural leather, and various proposals have been made toimprove the hard-slipperiness and the good fit. For example, in a sportsglove disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-299982, a grainside is disposed on a backside of the glove, whereby the glove is hardlyslippery even when the glove gets wet and a good fit is given to a hand.

In the sports glove disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No.2001-299982, although the grain side is applied to a surface in contactwith the hand so as to improve the hard-slipperiness between the handand the glove, there is a demand for further improvements of thehard-slipperiness and the good fit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing problems, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a sports glove that can further improve thehard-slipperiness and the good fit in comparison to conventional gloves.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided asports glove having a leather member disposed on a palmar side, theleather member being made of natural leather and having a front side anda backside each applied with a grain side.

Accordingly, the grain side can be applied to the surface in contactwith the hand on the palmar side of the glove, and the grain side canalso be applied to the surface of the glove in contact with the membersuch as a bat. As a result, the slipperiness can be suppressed betweenthe hand and the glove as well as between the glove and the member suchas the bat, and the good fit can be provided because the grain sideconstitutes the surface in contact with the hand.

The sports glove according to the aspect of the present invention mayinclude a palmar portion that covers a palm; and a finger portion thatcovers fingers, wherein the leather member is disposed on at least partof a palmar side of the finger portion and in at least part of thepalmar portion. In such cases, the leather member can be disposed onregions of the palmar portion and finger portion, which influence thehard-slipperiness, because a player lays stress on the regions whengrasping the bat.

The sports glove according to the aspect of the present invention mayinclude a palmar portion that covers a palm, wherein the leather memberis disposed on at least part of the palmar portion. In such cases, theleather member can be disposed on regions of the palmar portion andfinger portion, which influence the hard-slipperiness, because theplayer lays stress on the regions when grasping the bat.

In the sports glove according to the aspect of the present invention, astitch may be formed on the leather member. In such cases, the leathermember in which the grain sides are applied to both the surfaces (thatis, the member in which the two pieces of natural leather are overlappedwith the grain side orientated toward an outer circumference) is fixedto the stitched portion. Therefore, a possibility of generating theslipperiness between the glove and the hand or between the glove and themember such as the bat can be reduced. The generation of theslipperiness is caused by a deviation between the two pieces of naturalleather of the leather member.

In the sports glove according to the aspect of the present invention,the stitch may be formed so as to be gradually brought closer to a wristfrom a thumb toward a little finger in the leather member. In suchcases, when the player swings the bat while grasping the bat, the stitchis formed along a direction (bat extended direction) in which thelargest centrifugal force is applied, so that the problem such as thedeviation between the pieces of natural leather constituting the leathermember having the both grain sides due to the centrifugal force can beprevented from being generated.

The sports glove according to the aspect of the present invention mayinclude a finger portion that covers fingers, wherein the leather memberis disposed on at least part of a palmar side of the finger portion. Insuch cases, the slipperiness can be suppressed in the finger portion inwhich particularly sensitive feeling is required when the player graspsthe bat.

In the sports glove according to the aspect of the present invention, astitch may be formed on the leather member. In such cases, the twopieces of natural leather constituting the leather member can beprevented from deviating when the player uses the sports glove.

The existence of the portion provided with the stitch can effectivelysuppress the slipperiness between the leather member and the hand and/orbetween the leather member and the bat when the player grasps the bat.

In the sports glove according to the aspect of the present invention,the stitch may be formed so as to be extended in a directionintersecting an extended direction of the finger portion in the leathermember. In such cases, when the player swings the bat while grasping thebat, the stitch is formed along the direction (bat extended direction)in which the largest centrifugal force is applied, so that the problemsuch as the deviation between the pieces of natural leather constitutingthe leather member having the both grain sides due to the centrifugalforce can be prevented from being generated.

According to the present invention, the hardly-slippery sports glovehaving the excellent fit can be realized.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of the present invention when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a palmar of a sports gloveaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a backside of the sports glove ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a first modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a second modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a third modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a fifth modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a sixth modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a seventh modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an eighth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a ninth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a tenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an eleventh modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a twelfth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a thirteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a fourteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a fifteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a sixteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a seventeenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing an eighteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing a nineteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to asecond embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to athird embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to afourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to afifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to asixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to aseventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to aneighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing a first modification of thesports glove of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram showing a second modification of thesports glove of FIG. 28.

FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to aninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to atenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to aneleventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to atwelfth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to athirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to afourteenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to afifteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 38 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to asixteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram showing a first modification of thesports glove of FIG. 38.

FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram showing a second modification of thesports glove of FIG. 38.

FIG. 41 is a schematic diagram showing a measuring apparatus used in anexperiment.

FIG. 42 is a graph showing experimental result.

FIG. 43 is a graph showing experimental result.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described belowwith reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, an identicalor equivalent component is designated by the same reference numeral, andthe repeated description is not made.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a palmar of a sports gloveaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is aschematic diagram showing a backside of the sports glove of FIG. 1.Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sports glove of the first embodimentwill be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a palmar portion 2 and palmar sides of amiddle finger 13, a ring finger 14, and a little finger 15 are made ofboth-grain-side natural leather (leather member in which two pieces ofnatural leather are overlapped such that grain sides are applied to afront side and a backside) that is of the feature of the presentinvention on a palmar of a sports glove 1. A palmar side of an indexfinger 12, a thumb 11, and a thumb base portion 16 connected to thumb 11are formed by a member (for example, natural leather or artificialleather) that is different from the both-grain-side natural leather. Ahem rubber 7 is disposed on an end portion of a wrist insertion portion5 of sports glove 1. Side portions of index finger 12, middle finger 13,ring finger 14, and little finger 15 are formed by finger gore portions3 in which different natural leather, artificial leather, or cloth isdisposed. Stitches 21 a to 21 c that are of seams are formed in palmarportion 2. Stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed so as to be graduallybrought closer to wrist insertion portion 5 from the thumb toward thelittle finger, while stitches 21 a to 21 c obliquely traverse palmarportion 2.

A back portion 4 of sports glove 1 is made of natural leather or otherpieces of synthetic fiber. On back portion 4, a wrist belt 6 is disposedon hem rubber 7, and one end of wrist belt 6 is detachable.

In sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the both-grain-side naturalleather is applied to palmar portion 2 and the palmar sides of middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. Therefore, theslipperiness can be reduced between the glove and the hand inside theglove, and the slipperiness can also be reduced between the glove and amember (such as a bat) that a gloved player grasps.

The generation of the problem such that the two pieces of leatherconstituting the both-grain-side natural leather are deviated during usecan be suppressed by forming stitches 21 a to 21 c. When sports glove 1shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used in grasping a baseball bat, becausestitches 21 a to 21 c are formed along a direction (bat extendeddirection when the player swings the bat while wearing sports glove 1)in which the largest centrifugal force is applied during bat swing, thedeviation between the two pieces of leather constituting theboth-grain-side natural leather can be suppressed in the centrifugaldirection by minimum necessary stitches 21 a to 21 c.

As described above, in sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, theslipperiness can be reduced between the hand and sports glove 1 as wellas between the sports glove 1 and the member such as the bat, and thegood fit can be provided because the grain side is applied to thesurface in contact with the hand.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a first modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 3, a first modification of thesports glove of the first embodiment will be described. FIGS. 3 to 30correspond to FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 to 30 show the palmar side of thesports glove.

The sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3 basically has a configuration similarto that of the sports glove shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but the sports glove1 of FIG. 3 differs from the sports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2 indispositions of the stitches 21 a to 21 c on the palmar side. That is,in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3, stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed soas to be extended toward wrist insertion portion 5 along the directionstoward hem rubber 7 from leading end portions of middle finger 13, ringfinger 14, and little finger 15, that is, along the extended directions(orthogonal to a width direction) in central portions in the widthdirections of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15.Therefore, the player is easy to grasp the bat by the hand while wearingsports glove 1 by forming stitches 21 a to 21 c in the directionsubstantially similar to that of the stitch on the back portion shown inFIG. 2. Further, stitches 21 a to 21 c are inserted in the direction ofimpact that is received by the hand grasping a grip portion of the batwhen the bat contacts a ball (in striking the ball), which allows thedeviation to be reduced between sports glove 1 and the bat or betweenthe two pieces of leather constituting the both-grain-side naturalleather. A stretch of the both-grain-side natural leather constitutingpalmar portion 2 can be reduced when sports glove 1 is used.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a second modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 4, a secondmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, sports glove 1shown in FIG. 4 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 inshapes of stitches 21 a to 21 c formed on the palmar-side leather membermade of the both-grain-side natural leather. That is, in sports glove 1shown in FIG. 4, stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed along fingers from theleading end portions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and littlefinger 15, and stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed so as to be bent towardthumb 11 in palmar portion 2. Therefore, as with sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 3, the player is easy to grasp the bat by the hand while wearingsports glove 1 by forming stitches 21 a to 21 c in the directionsubstantially similar to that of the stitch on the back portion shown inFIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a third modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 5, a third modification of thesports glove of the first embodiment will be described.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 5 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 5 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4 in the shapes ofstitches 21 a to 21 c. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 5, afterstitches 21 a to 21 c are extended along fingers from the leading endportions to base portions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, andlittle finger 15, and stitches 21 a to 21 c are bent toward thumb 11while brought closer one another in palmar portion 2. Therefore, theeffect similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4 can beobtained.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 6, a fourthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 6 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, sports glove 1shown in FIG. 6 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 inthe shapes of stitches formed on the palmar-side leather member made ofthe both-grain-side natural leather. That is, in sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 6, (as with the sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4), stitches 21 a to21 c are formed so as to be extended to the bases from the leading endportions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15, anda fourth stitch 21 d is formed so as to be extended along stitches 21 ato 21 c toward hem rubber 7 from a center of a side portion of littlefinger 15 of sports glove 1 in palmar portion 2. The effect similar tothat of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4 can also be obtained in sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 6. Further, the deviation between the two piecesof natural leather constituting the leather member can effectively besuppressed by forming fourth stitch 21 d.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a fifth modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 7, a fifth modification of thesports glove of the first embodiment will be described.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 7 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 7 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3 in that theboth-grain-side natural leather is also used in the palmar-portion-sidesurface of index finger 12 and a stitch 21 e is formed toward the basefrom the leading end portion in index finger 12. Therefore, the playergrasps the bat more strongly because stitches 21 a to 21 e are formedfor four fingers from index finger 12 to little finger 15. Further,stitches 21 a to 21 c are inserted in the direction of impact that isreceived by the hand grasping the grip portion of the bat when the batcontacts the ball (in striking the ball), which allows the deviation tobe reduced between sports glove 1 and the bat or between the two piecesof leather constituting the both-grain-side natural leather. The stretchof the both-grain-side natural leather constituting palmar portion 2 canbe reduced when sports glove 1 is used.

In the fifth modification of the sports glove, as with the sports glove1 shown in FIG. 3, the palmar side of index finger 12 may be formed by amember (such as normal natural leather in which the grain side isapplied to the palmar portion or a floor side is applied to the palmarportion) different from the both-grain-side leather member.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a sixth modification of the sportsglove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 8, a sixth modification of thesports glove of the first embodiment will be described.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 8 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 8 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 4 in the shapes ofstitches 21 a to 21 c. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 8,stitches 21 a to 21 c are obliquely formed toward thumb 11 from sideportions (side portions on the side opposite from thumb 11) of middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. Therefore, during thebat swing, the deviation of the leather member (both-grain-side leathermember) constituting palmar portion 2 can be reduced in a torquedirection when the torque (force in a twist direction) is applied to thebat.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a seventh modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 9, a seventhmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 9 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 9 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3 in the shapes ofstitches 21 a to 21 c. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 9,stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed only on middle finger 13, ring finger14, and little finger 15, respectively. A stitch 21 i is formed in aportion corresponding to the base of each finger. Therefore, in theboth-grain-side leather member disposed on the palmar side of thefinger, the deviation between the two pieces of natural leatherconstituting the leather member can effectively be reduced byparticularly forming stitches 21 a to 21 c on the palmar sides of thefingers. Further, stitches 21 a to 21 c are inserted in the direction ofimpact that is received by the hand grasping the grip portion of the batwhen the bat contacts the ball (in striking the ball), which allows thedeviation to be reduced between sports glove 1 and the bat on the palmarsides of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an eighth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 10, an eighthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 10 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 9, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 10 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 9 in the shapes ofstitches 21 a to 21 c. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 10,stitches 21 a to 21 c are obliquely formed toward thumb 11, that is,from a side portion (side portions on the side opposite from thumb 11)of each finger to the other side portion located close to thumb 11.Further, stitch 21 i that is substantially perpendicular to the extendedportion of each finger is formed in each of the base portions of middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. Therefore, during thebat swing, the deviation of the leather member (both-grain-side leathermember) constituting the palmar sides of middle finger 13, ring finger14, and little finger 15 can be reduced in a torque direction when thetorque (force in the twist direction) is applied to the bat.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a ninth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 11, a ninthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 11 basically has a configurationsimilar to those of sports gloves 1 shown in FIG. 10, sports glove 1shown in FIG. 11 differs from sports gloves 1 shown in FIG. 10 in thatplural stitches 21 a to 21 c and 21 g to 21 h are formed on middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15, respectively. That is,in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 11, each two of stitches 21 a to 21 cand 21 f to 21 h are obliquely formed from little finger 15 toward thumb11 (so as to intersect the extended direction of each finger).Therefore, the effect similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 10can also be obtained. That is, during the bat swing, the deviation ofthe leather member (both-grain-side leather member) constituting palmarsides of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15 can bereduced in the torque direction when the torque (force in the twistdirection) is applied to the bat. The number of stitches on each of thefingers may be at least three, or the number of stitches may depend onthe finger.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a tenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 12, a tenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 12 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 9, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 12 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 9 in that obliquelyformed stitches 21 f to 21 h (in the direction intersecting the extendeddirection of each finger) are formed toward thumb 11 from the sideportion in the middle of each finger in addition to stitches 21 a to 21c that are formed in the extended direction of each finger in each ofmiddle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. Therefore, theeffects provided by sports gloves 1 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 cansimultaneously be obtained.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an eleventh modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 13, an eleventhmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 13 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 13 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 3 in the shapes ofstitches 21 a to 21 c formed in palmar portion 2. That is, in sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 17, stitches 21 a to 21 c are substantially formedalong the extended direction of each of middle finger 13, ring finger14, and little finger 15 in palmar portion 2, and stitches 21 a to 21 care not extended to finger tip sides from stitches 21 i formed in thebase portions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15.From the different standpoint, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 13,stitches 21 a to 21 c are substantially linearly formed toward hemrubber 7 from the substantial centers of the base portions of middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15 in palmar portion 2.Therefore, stitches 21 a to 21 c are inserted in the direction of impactthat is received by the hand grasping the grip portion of the bat whenthe bat contacts the ball (in striking the ball), which allows thedeviation to be reduced between sports glove 1 and the bat or betweenthe two pieces of leather constituting the both-grain-side naturalleather.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a twelfth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 14, a twelfthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Although sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 14 basically has a configurationsimilar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 13, sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 14 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 13 in the shapes ofstitches 21 a to 21 c. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 14,stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed along fingers from the leading endportions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15, andstitches 21 a to 21 c are formed from the base portions of middle finger13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15 so as to be gradually away fromthumb 11. Stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed so as to be curved.Therefore, during the bat swing, the deviation of the leather member(both-grain-side leather member) constituting palmar portion 2 can bereduced in the torque direction when the torque (force in the twistdirection) is applied to the bat.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a thirteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 15, a thirteenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

As shown in FIG. 15, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 15 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the shapes of stitches formed on palmar portion 2. Insports glove 1 shown in FIG. 15, stitches 21 a to 21 c are obliquelyformed toward the little finger from index finger 12 so as to begradually brought closer to hem rubber 7 in the region made of theboth-grain-side natural leather, that is, in palmar portion 2, middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. Dead ends (end portionsclosest to hem rubber 7) of stitches 21 a to 21 f are formed so as to beconnected to the side portion of little finger 15 of the glove.Therefore, during the bat swing, the deviation of the leather member(both-grain-side leather member) constituting palmar portion 2 can bereduced in the torque direction when the torque (force in the twistdirection) is applied to the bat.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a fourteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 16, a fourteenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 16, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 10, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 15 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 10 inthe shapes of stitches 21 a to 21 c formed on middle finger 13, ringfinger 14, and little finger 15. That is, in sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 16, stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed along fingers from the leadingend portions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15,and stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed so as to be obliquely broughtcloser to hem rubber 7 from the side portions, located closer to thumb11, of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. From thedifferent standpoint, stitches 21 a to 21 c respectively intersect theextended directions of the fingers, and stitches 21 a to 21 c areobliquely formed so as to be gradually brought closer to the bases ofthe fingers from index finger 12 toward little finger 15. Therefore,during the bat swing, the deviation of the leather member(both-grain-side leather member) constituting palmar portion 2 can bereduced in the torque direction when the torque (force in the twistdirection) is applied to the bat.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a fifteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 17, a fifteenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 17, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 14, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 17 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 14 inthe shapes of stitches 21 a to 21 c formed in palmar portion 2. That is,in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 17, stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed soas to be obliquely and linearly extended from the central portions ofthe base portions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger15 (so as to be gradually away from thumb 11). Therefore, during the batswing, the deviation of the leather member (both-grain-side leathermember) constituting palmar portion 2 can be reduced in the torquedirection when the torque (force in the twist direction) is applied tothe bat.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a sixteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 18, a sixteenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 18, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 17, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 18 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 17 inthe shapes of stitches 21 a to 21 c formed in palmar portion 2. That is,in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 18, two stitches 21 a and 21 b areobliquely formed along fingers from the central portions of the baseportions of middle finger 13 and ring finger 14 (so as to be graduallyaway thumb 11 as stitches 21 a and 21 b are brought closer to hem rubber7). Therefore, during the bat swing, the deviation of the leather member(both-grain-side leather member) constituting palmar portion 2 can bereduced in the torque direction when the torque (force in the twistdirection) is applied to the bat.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a seventeenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 19, a seventeenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 19, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 19 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in that stitches 21 d to 21 g are also formed on middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. That is, in sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 24, plural stitches 21 d to 21 g are formed in thedirections intersecting the extended directions of the fingers in eachof middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15. Therefore,during the bat swing, the deviation of the both-grain-side leathermember can be reduced in the centrifugal direction by forming the stitchalong the centrifugal direction.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing an eighteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 20, an eighteenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 20, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 20 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the shapes of stitches 21 a to 21 c formed on thepalmar. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 20, stitch 21 a isobliquely formed toward hem rubber 7 from the side portion of thumb 11of middle finger 13 so as to be gradually away from thumb 11. On theother hand, stitches 21 b and 21 c are obliquely formed toward thumbbase portion 16 from the side portions of ring finger 14 and littlefinger 15 on the side opposite from thumb 11. That is, stitch 21 a andstitches 21 b and 21 c are formed so as to intersect each other.Therefore, both the effects provided by sports gloves 1 shown in FIGS. 8and 15 can be obtained.

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing a nineteenth modification of thesports glove of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIG. 21, a nineteenthmodification of the sports glove of the first embodiment will bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 21, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 18, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 21 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 18 inthat stitch 21 c along the extended direction of little finger 15 towardhem rubber 7 from the center of the base portion of the little finger15. Therefore, both the effects provided by sports gloves 1 shown inFIGS. 8 and 15 can be obtained. Further, stitches 21 a to 21 c intersectone another at a point that is easily broken by the bat swing(little-finger-side (outside) region of palmar portion 2), which allowsthe point to be reinforced.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to asecond embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 22, asports glove according to a second embodiment of the present inventionwill be described. FIG. 22 corresponds to FIG. 1, and FIG. 22 shows thepalmar of sports glove 1.

As shown in FIG. 22, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 22 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in that the member made of the both-grain-side naturalleather is formed only in palmar portion 2. That is, natural leather isused such that the grain side is disposed on the surface of thumb 11,index finger 12, middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15and the floor side is disposed inside the glove. Therefore, a seamedportion 30 is formed in the base portions of middle finger 13, ringfinger 14, and little finger 15.

The effect similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 canbe obtained in the configuration of FIG. 22. When the sensitive feelingis required in the fingertip, the both-grain-side natural leather is notused in each finger, but one piece of natural leather is used, so thatloss of the feeling can be suppressed in the fingertip.

Any one of the stitch configurations shown in FIGS. 3 to 21 may beapplied to sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 22.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to athird embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 23, asports glove according to a third embodiment of the present inventionwill be described.

Referring to FIG. 23, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 23 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in that the both-grain-side leather member is used only inthe palmar sides of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger15. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 23, the surface of palmarportion 2 is made of one piece of grain-side natural leather. Further,stitches 21 d to 21 j are formed on middle finger 13, ring finger 14,and little finger 15 so as to intersect the extended directions of thefingers (so as to be gradually brought closer to the base of the fingerfrom thumb 11 toward little finger 15). The effect similar to those ofsports gloves 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be obtained in sports glove 1shown in FIG. 23.

The palmar side of index finger 12 may be formed by the both-grain-sideleather member. Any one of the stitch configurations shown in FIGS. 3 to21 may be applied to sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 23.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing a sports glove according to afourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 24, asports glove according to a fourth embodiment of the present inventionwill be described.

Referring to FIG. 24, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 24 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in that the both-grain-side leather member is used only ina thumb leading end portion 51, an index finger leading end portion 52,an middle finger leading end portion 53, an ring finger leading endportion 54, and an little finger leading end portion 55. Thumb leadingend portion 51, index finger leading end portion 52, middle fingerleading end portion 53, ring finger leading end portion 54, and littlefinger leading end portion 55 are leading end portions of thumb 11,index finger 12, middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15.The effect similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 canbe obtained in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 24. When sports glove 1shown in FIG. 24 is used in batting, a force of the hand (handcompression) can efficiently be transmitted to the bat because theboth-grain-side leather member is used in the fingertip portion to whicha pressure is applied during the bat swing. When sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 24 is used in fielding, the both-grain-side natural leather is usedin the finger portion to which the pressure is applied during thefielding, so that the deviation can be reduced between sports glove 1and the glove in a catching motion.

Fifth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 25, a sports glove according to a fifth embodiment ofthe present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 25, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 25 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leather member.That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 25, the both-grain-side leathermembers are used only in middle finger leading end portion 53, ringfinger leading end portion 54, little finger leading end portion 55, anda palmar-portion segment 56. The palmar-portion segment 56 has a bentshape in which a horizontally extended portion and a vertically extendedportion are connected. In the horizontally extended portion, the baseportions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15 areextended. The vertically extended portion is extended toward hem rubber7 from the neighborhood of the base portion of little finger 15 of thehorizontally extended portion. The effect similar to that of sportsglove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be obtained in sports glove 1 shownin FIG. 25. The fingertip on the palmar side, which is easily worn awayby the use of sports glove 1, and palmar-portion segment 56 are formedby the both-grain-side leather members. Therefore, the deviation can bereduced between the hand and the glove as well as between the glove andthe member such as the bat, and the wear of sports glove 1 can besuppressed.

Sixth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 26, a sports glove according to a sixth embodiment ofthe present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 26, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 26 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leather member.That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 26, the both-grain-side leathermember is used only in palmar-portion segment 56 that is located belowlittle finger 15 in palmar portion 2. Palmar-portion segment 56 isdisposed below little finger 15 in palmar portion 2, and palmar-portionsegment 56 is located while substantially facing thumb base portion 16in the width direction of palmar portion 2. In a planar shape,palmar-portion segment 56 has a substantially square shape. In foursides of the outer shape of palmar-portion segment 56, the long side isextended in the substantially same direction as the extended directionof little finger 15. In palmar-portion segment 56, a seam (stitch) isformed in an outer circumferential portion thereof in order to fixpalmar-portion segment 56. Thus, in sports glove 1 according to thepresent invention, preferably the stitch used in the fixation isdisposed inside the outer circumferential portion of the both-grain-sideleather member. Palmar-portion segment 56 is formed by theboth-grain-side leather member, so that the batter can more securelyperform the bat grip in the hand located below (the grip end side of thebat) when gripping the bat. When the configuration shown in FIG. 26 isadopted as the sports glove worn on the hand located below at the ready,the both-grain-side leather member is disposed on the portion(palmar-portion segment 56 of FIG. 26) in which the force isparticularly concentrated in the sports glove against the force ofpushing back the bat by the centrifugal force during the bat swing andthe impact of the batting. Therefore, the bat can securely be grippedduring the bat swing or batting.

The portion in which the force is particularly concentrated in thesports glove can be specified by the following method. A detection sheet(for example, Presscale (ultra low-pressure: two-sheet type): product ofFUJIFILM Business Supply Co., Ltd) whose color is changed in response tothe pressure adheres to a grip tape of the bat, and a batter swings thebat while grasping the bat grip by bare hands. As a result, the color ofthe detection sheet is changed in the grip portion to which the pressureis applied from bare hands by the swing. In the hands of the batter(that is, sports glove), the portion in which the force is particularlyconcentrated during the swing can be specified from a positionalrelationship between the position of the color changed portion and thepalmar portion of the hand by which the bat grip is grasped.

Seventh Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 27, a sports glove according to a seventh embodimentof the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 27, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 27 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leather member.That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 27, the both-grain-side leathermember is used only in a palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 that islocated between index finger 12 and thumb base portion 16 (or thumb 11)in palmar portion 2. Palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 is disposedfrom the base side of index finger 12 to thumb base portion 16. Alittle-finger-side side portion of palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61has an outer circumferential shape that is substantially linearlyextended toward thumb base portion 16 from between index finger 12 andmiddle finger 13. Palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 is formed by theboth-grain-side leather member, so that the batter can more securelyperform the bat grip in the hand located above (the hitting side of thebat) when gripping the bat. When the configuration shown in FIG. 27 isadopted as the sports glove worn on the hand located above at the ready,the both-grain-side leather member is disposed on the portion(palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 of FIG. 27) in which the force isparticularly concentrated in the sports glove against the force ofpushing back the bat by the centrifugal force during the bat swing andthe impact of the batting. Therefore, the bat can securely be grippedduring the bat swing or batting.

For palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61, it can be confirmed that theforce is concentrated during the bat swing by performing the experimentwith the detection sheet as described in the sixth embodiment.

Palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 can be formed any planar shape.For example, palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 may be formed in theshape in which the width (in the direction toward the wrist from thefingers) is increased toward the thumb from the little finger.

Eighth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 28, a sports glove according to an eighth embodimentof the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 28, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 26, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 28 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 26 inthe disposition of the both-grain-side leather member. That is, insports glove 1 shown in FIG. 28, the both-grain-side leather members areused in a middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, a ring-fingerpalmar-side fragment 64, and a little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 inaddition to palmar-portion fragment 56 located below little finger 15 inpalmar portion 2. Middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, ring-fingerpalmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 arelocated on the palmar sides of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, andlittle finger 15. Middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, ring-fingerpalmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 areextended from the leading end portions of middle finger 13, ring finger14, and little finger 15 to regions between second joint from theleading end portion and third joint, respectively. When the batter is atthe ready, middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, ring-fingerpalmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 thatare disposed across the bat from palmar-portion fragment 56 are alsoformed by the both-grain-side leather members, so that the batter canmore stably perform the bat grip.

Referring to FIG. 29, a first modification of the sports glove of FIG.28 will be described. Referring to FIG. 29, although sports glove 1basically has a configuration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 28, sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 29 differs from sports glove 1shown in FIG. 28 in that palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 is formedby the both-grain-side leather member instead of palmar-portion fragment56 shown in FIG. 28. The configuration of palmar-portion thumb-sidefragment 61 of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 29 is basically similar tothat of palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 of sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 27. In the configuration of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 29, whenthe batter is at the ready, middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63,ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-sidefragment 65 that are disposed across the bat from palmar-portionthumb-side fragment 61 are also formed by the both-grain-side leathermembers, so that the batter can more stably perform the bat grip.

Referring to FIG. 30, a second modification of the sports glove of FIG.28 will be described. Referring to FIG. 30, although sports glove 1basically has a configuration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 28, sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 30 differs from sports glove 1shown in FIG. 28 in that palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 is formedby the both-grain-side leather member in addition to palmar-portionfragment 56 shown in FIG. 28. The configuration of palmar-portionthumb-side fragment 61 of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 30 is basicallysimilar to that of palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 of sports glove1 shown in FIG. 27. In the configuration of sports glove 1 shown in FIG.30, when the batter is at the ready, middle-finger palmar-side fragment63, ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-sidefragment 65 that are disposed across the bat from palmar-portionfragment 56 and palmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61 are also formed bythe both-grain-side leather members, so that the batter can more stablyperform the bat grip. When the batter wears the sports glove on the hand(lower side) located closer to the grip end of the bat at the ready orwhen the batter wears the sports glove on the hand (upper side) locatedfarther away from the grip end of the bat at the ready, the batter canmore stably perform the bat grip. That is, the batter can more stablyperform the bat grip in both the hands.

Middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, ring-finger palmar-side fragment64, and little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 that are formed by theboth-grain-side leather members are disposed in sports glove 1.Alternatively, only two of one of middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63,ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-sidefragment 65 may be disposed. Middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63,ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-sidefragment 65 may be disposed so as to be extended only to the leading endportions of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15, ormiddle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, ring-finger palmar-side fragment64, and little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 may be disposed so as tobe extended to between a first joint from the leading end and a secondjoint. Middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, ring-finger palmar-sidefragment 64, and little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 may be formed atdifferent positions or in different sizes in middle finger 13, ringfinger 14, and little finger 15, respectively. Middle-finger palmar-sidefragment 63, ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64, and little-fingerpalmar-side fragment 65 may be formed so as to be extended toward thebase sides of the fingers from not the leading end portions of middlefinger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15, but the middle of thefinger. Plural middle-finger palmar-side fragments 63, ring-fingerpalmar-side fragments 64, and little-finger palmar-side fragments 65 maybe disposed on middle finger 13, ring finger 14, and little finger 15,respectively. In the configurations of palmar-portion fragment 56 andpalmar-portion thumb-side fragment 61, plural independent fragments(fragments formed by the both-grain-side leather members) may bedispersed.

Ninth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 31, a sports glove according to a ninth embodiment ofthe present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 31, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 26, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 31 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 26 ina shape of a palmar-portion fragment 66 formed by the both-grain-sideleather member. In palmar-portion fragment 66, an upper end (end portionon the fingers) is extended from below little finger 15 to below middlefinger 13 in palmar portion 2, and an outer circumference of the endportion of thumb 11 is inclined toward the wrist from the base of indexfinger 12 (so as to be gradually brought closer to little finger 15).From the different standpoint, palmar-portion fragment 66 is formed suchthat the width (in a longitudinal direction (direction from the fingersto the wrist) of palmar portion 2) of palmar-portion fragment 66 isgradually increased from thumb 11 toward little finger 15. The endportion of little finger 15 of palmar-portion fragment 66 is extended tothe end portion on little finger 15 of palmar portion 2. Therefore, whenthe batter wears sports glove 1 on the hand that becomes an axis of thebat swing, the batter can improve the bat grip force in a region (endportion on the little finger of palmar portion 2) below little finger15. The region below little finger 15 becomes the axis of the bat swing.

Tenth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 32, a sports glove according to a tenth embodiment ofthe present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 32, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 32 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leather member.That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 32, the both-grain-side leathermember is used only in a palmar-portion fragment 76 in palmar portion 2.Palmar-portion fragment 76 is located from the base portion of indexfinger 12 to below little finger 15. Palmar-portion fragment 76 isformed so as to be extended from the base portion of index finger 12toward below little finger 15, and palmar-portion fragment 76 may have asubstantially rectangular planar shape. Palmar-portion fragment 76 is aregion to where the largest pressure is applied to the hand during thebat swing, so that the bat grip can more securely be performed bydisposing the both-grain-side leather member in palmar-portion fragment76. When palmar-portion fragment 76 is formed by the both-grain-sideleather member, a difference in thickness is generated betweenpalmar-portion fragment 76 and portions except for palmar-portionfragment 76. Accordingly, palmar-portion fragment 76 is securely fixedwhen the batter grips the bat. The width (in the direction from thefingers toward the wrist) of palmar-portion fragment 76 is equal to orlower than an outer circumferential length of the bat grip portion,preferably the width is lower than 50% of the outer circumferentiallength. Specifically, preferably the width ranges from 1 mm to 35 mm,more preferably the width ranges from 10 mm to 30 mm As to thedifference in thickness between palmar-portion fragment 76 and theportions except for palmar-portion fragment 76, the thickness ofpalmar-portion fragment 76 is larger than those of the portions exceptfor palmar-portion fragment 76 by at least 0.5 mm Therefore, the batgrip is easy to perform, and the stable swing can be performed.

Eleventh Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 33, a sports glove according to an eleventh embodimentof the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 33, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 32, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 33 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 32 inthe disposition of the both-grain-side leather member. That is, insports glove 1 shown in FIG. 33, the both-grain-side leather member isused not in palmar-portion fragment 76 located from the base portion ofindex finger 12 to below little finger 15 in palmar portion 2, but in apalmar-portion fragment 77 and the palmar-portion-side surface fromindex finger 12 to little finger 15. Palmar-portion fragment 77 and thepalmar-portion-side surface from index finger 12 to little finger 15 area palmar-side surface except for palmar-portion fragment 76.Palmar-portion fragment 76 is formed by a member that is not theboth-grain-side leather member. In the configuration of sports glove 1shown in FIG. 33, the difference in thickness can be generated betweenpalmar-portion fragment 77 and palmar-portion fragment 76, which allowsthe bat to be securely gripped. At this point, in the difference inthickness between palmar-portion fragment 76 and portions except forpalmar-portion fragment 76, the thickness of palmar-portion fragment 76is lower than the portions except for palmar-portion fragment 76 by atleast 0.5 mm, the bat grip is easy to perform, and the stable swing canbe performed.

Twelfth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 34, a sports glove according to a twelfth embodimentof the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 34, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 34 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leather member.That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 34, the both-grain-side leathermembers are disposed only in middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63,ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-sidefragment 65 that are located on the palmar sides of middle finger 13,ring finger 14, and little finger 15. Further, in middle-fingerpalmar-side fragment 63, ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64, andlittle-finger palmar-side fragment 65, joint width narrowed portions 81are formed at two points corresponding to the joints of the finger. Thewidth of the both-grain-side leather member is narrowed in joint widthnarrowed portion 81. A joint aid portion 82 made of normal leathermember or other fiber is formed adjacent to joint width narrowed portion81. Therefore, the bat can securely be gripped by the use of theboth-grain-side leather member, and resistance of the glove is reducedwhen the finger is bent, and the ease of the finger motion can beimproved in wearing sports glove 1. The both-grain-side leather membermay be disposed on the palmar side of index finger 12 or thumb 11. Theboth-grain-side leather member may be disposed on the palmar side of anyone of thumb 11 to little finger 15.

Thirteenth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 35, a sports glove according to a thirteenthembodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 35, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 34, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 35 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 34 inthe disposition of the both-grain-side leather member. That is, insports glove 1 shown in FIG. 35, the both-grain-side leather members aredisposed only in middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63, ring-fingerpalmar-side fragment 64, and little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 thatare located on the palmar sides of middle finger 13, ring finger 14, andlittle finger 15. Further, middle-finger palmar-side fragment 63includes a middle-finger leading end portion 63 a, a middle-fingerintermediate portion 63 b, and a middle-finger base portion 63 c.Middle-finger leading end portion 63 a, middle-finger intermediateportion 63 b, and middle-finger base portion 63 c are separated from oneanother by joint aid portions 82. Ring-finger palmar-side fragment 64includes a ring-finger leading end portion 64 a, ring-fingerintermediate portion 64 b, and a ring-finger base portion 64 c.Ring-finger leading end portion 64 a, ring-finger intermediate portion64 b, and ring-finger base portion 64 c are separated from one anotherby joint aid portions 82. Little-finger palmar-side fragment 65 includesa little-finger leading end portion 65 a, a little-finger intermediateportion 65 b, and a little-finger base portion 65 c. Little-fingerleading end portion 65 a, little-finger intermediate portion 65 b, andlittle-finger base portion 65 c are separated from one another by jointaid portions 82. Joint aid portion 82 is formed by a member that is moreflexible than the both-grain-side leather member (in addition, morepreferably the thickness of joint aid portion 82 is lower than that ofthe both-grain-side leather member). For example, any material such asnormal chemical fiber and single-grain-side leather member can be usedas the material for joint aid portion 82. In the configuration of sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 35, the effect similar to that of sports glove 1shown in FIG. 34 can be obtained.

Fourteenth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 36, a sports glove according to a fourteenthembodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 36, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 36 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leather member.That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 36, palmar-portion fragment 56is formed by the both-grain-side leather member such that the wholepalmar portion 2 except for thumb base portion 16 is covered withpalmar-portion fragment 56. From the different standpoint, inpalmar-portion fragment 56, a planar end portion on the finger reachesbases of middle finger 13 to little finger 15. An outer shape of theplanar end portion on the thumb is extended toward the thumb frombetween index finger 12 and middle finger 13, the outer shape is curvedalong the outer circumference of thumb base portion 16, and the outershape reaches hem rubber 7 of the wrist portion. The planar end portionon the wrist reaches hem rubber 7, and the outer shape of the endportion on the wrist is substantially linearly formed along the upperend of hem rubber 7. Stitches 21 a to 21 c are formed in palmar-portionfragment 56. Stitches 21 a to 21 c are inclined from index finger 12toward little finger 15 so as to be gradually brought closer to wrist(side of hem rubber 7) from the fingers. In the configuration of sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 36, the bat grip can securely be performed.

Fifteenth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 37, a sports glove according to a fifteenth embodimentof the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 37, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 37 differs from sports glove 1 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leather member.That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 37, the whole surface on thepalmar (that is, palmar portion 2, palmar side surfaces of thumb 11 tolittle finger 15, and thumb base portion 16) is formed by theboth-grain-side leather member. In the configuration of sports glove 1shown in FIG. 37, the bat grip can securely be performed.

Sixteenth Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 38, a sports glove according to a sixteenth embodimentof the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 38, although sports glove 1 basically has aconfiguration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 36, sportsglove 1 shown in FIG. 38 differs from sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 36 inthe disposition of the both-grain-side leather member. That is, insports glove 1 shown in FIG. 38, palmar-portion fragment 56 shown inFIG. 36 is formed by the both-grain-side leather member, a gore portionthat covers a side surface of each finger constitutes a both-grain-sidefinger gore portion 83 formed by the both-grain-side leather member.Therefore, because the deviation between the fingers can be suppressedduring the bat grip, the assured state of the bat grip can be maintainedduring the bat swing. Only part of the gore portion that covers the sidesurface of each finger in a lengthwise direction (extended direction ofthe finger) may constitute both-grain-side finger gore portion 83 formedby the both-grain-side leather member. Both-grain-side finger goreportion 83 may be disposed only for the specific finger.

Referring to FIG. 39, a first modification of the sports glove of FIG.38 will be described. Referring to FIG. 39, although sports glove 1basically has a configuration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 38, sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 39 differs from sports glove 1shown in FIG. 38 in the disposition of the both-grain-side leathermember. That is, in sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 9, in addition toboth-grain-side finger gore portion 83 shown in FIG. 38, the wholesurface on the palmar is formed by the both-grain-side leather memberlike sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 37. Therefore, the effect provided bysports glove 1 shown in FIG. 37 can be obtained in addition to theeffect provided by sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 38.

Referring to FIG. 40, a second modification of the sports glove of FIG.38 will be described. Referring to FIG. 40, although sports glove 1basically has a configuration similar to that of sports glove 1 shown inFIG. 38, sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 40 differs from sports glove 1shown in FIG. 38 in that only the gore portion located in one of sidesurfaces of the finger constitutes both-grain-side finger gore portion83. In such cases, the relatively thick both-grain-side leather memberis used only in one of the side surfaces, and the other side surface ismade of another relatively flexible material. Therefore, the ease of thefinger motion can be improved (that is, the fit of sports glove 1 can beimproved) while the effect by sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 38 ismaintained to some extent. In sports glove 1 shown in FIG. 40,both-grain-side finger gore portions 83 are disposed on the sidesurfaces closer to the thumb of middle finger 13 to little finger 15.Alternatively, both-grain-side finger gore portion 83 may be disposed onthe opposite side (side surface on the little finger), or the directionin which both-grain-side finger gore portion 83 is disposed may bechanged in each finger. Both-grain-side finger gore portion 83 may bedisposed on not all the fingers but the specific finger.

EXAMPLE

The following experiments were performed to confirm the effects of thesports glove according to the present invention.

(Samples)

In order to confirm the effect of the sports glove according to thepresent invention, a glove with the palmar portion being formed by thegrain side of the normal natural leather, a glove with the palmarportion being formed by the floor side of the normal natural leather,and a glove with the palmar portion being formed by a resin andartificial leather were prepared in addition to the sports glove shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 of the present invention.

(Experimental Apparatus)

A measuring apparatus 40 shown in FIG. 41 is a torque measuringapparatus. In measuring apparatus 40, support members 43 are disposed ona base member 47 while facing each other, and a shaft 42 is rotatablysupported in support members 43. A bat grip portion 44 is connected andfixed to one end of shaft 42. A grip tape 45 is disposed on the surfaceof grip portion 44. A torque sensor 41 is connected to the other end ofshaft 42. A control unit 46 is connected to torque sensor 41 in order torecord output from torque sensor 41.

Two kinds of grip portions 44 having different materials of grip tapes45 were prepared. That is, relatively hardly-slippery grip tape 45 wasused as a grip tape A. Grip tape 45 that was relatively more slipperythan grip tape A was used as a grip tape B.

(Experimental Method)

For eight testers, the torque was measured when the measuring apparatusshown in FIG. 26 was rotated counterclockwise while the grip portion ofthe measuring apparatus is gripped by the four kinds of the gloves andbare hands. The measurement was performed for each of the two kinds ofthe grip portions having the different grip tapes.

(Results)

Tables 1 and 2 show the torque measurement results of the testers in thegrip portions in which grip tape A and grip tape B are used. Table 1 isthe result when the grip portion of grip tape A is used, and Table 2 isthe result when the grip portion of grip tape B is used.

TABLE 1 Condition Condition Tester Tester Tester Tester Tester TesterTester Tester ID contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Average A Normal natural 18.516.1 11.5 13.2 15.1 16.4 15.7 14.8 15.1 leather B Natural leather 21.617.8 13.0 15.4 16.3 17.3 16.9 15.5 16.7 both grain sides C Grain sideand 17.6 15.2 12.6 13.1 15.6 16.1 13.4 14.9 14.8 floor side beinginverted D Resin + artificial 16.7 12.7 10.6 11.9 13.4 14.1 12.8 13.413.2 leather E Thin artificial 16.0 13.4 11.3 12.3 14.3 15.0 14.1 12.513.6 leather F Bare hand 11.6 13.1 8.2 10.5 11.1 12.7 12.5 9.7 11.1

TABLE 2 Condition Condition Tester Tester Tester Tester Tester TesterTester Tester ID contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Average A Normal natural 15.114.7 14.5 13.3 15.2 17.6 16.2 13.2 15.0 leather B Natural leather 15.715.2 16.3 15.1 15.1 17.9 15.9 15.3 15.8 both grain sides C Grain sideand 14.7 16.6 13.9 13.4 13.2 16.6 15.0 13.5 14.6 floor side beinginverted D Resin + artificial 14.0 14.1 13.1 11.7 13.9 15.7 16.6 12.513.9 leather E Thin artificial 13.7 12.8 12.9 12.9 13.0 15.4 13.2 11.713.2 leather F Bare hand 13.1 13.3 12.4 11.9 13.4 14.2 13.8 11.7 13.0

FIGS. 42 and 43 show average torque values in the result in the kinds ofthe sports gloves.

In the graphs shown in FIGS. 42 and 43, a horizontal axis indicates thekind of the glove used, and a vertical axis indicates the torque. Thetorque in the vertical axis has a unit of Nm. In the horizontal axes ofFIGS. 42 and 43, the letter A designates the case where the sports gloveis made of one piece of natural leather and the grain side is applied tothe palmar portion. The letter B in the horizontal axes designates thecase where the sports glove of the present invention is used. The letterC in the horizontal axes designates the case where the sports glove withthe floor side being applied to the palmar portion surface is used. Theletter D in the horizontal axes designates the case where the sportsglove with the palmar portion being formed by the resin and theartificial leather is used. The letter E in the horizontal axesdesignates the case where the grip portion is grasped by bare hands.

As can be seen from FIGS. 42 and 43, in each grip tape, the torque ismaximized when the sports glove of the present invention is used. Thatis, it is shown that the hard-slipperiness is realized when the sportsglove of the present invention is used.

The present invention is advantageously applied to the sports glove,particularly to the sports glove that is worn in the batting of baseballand softball.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated indetail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustrationand example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the scopeof the present invention being interpreted by the terms of the appendedclaims.

1. A sports glove having a leather member disposed on a palmar side, theleather member being made of natural leather and having a front side anda backside each applied with a grain side.
 2. The sports glove accordingto claim 1, comprising: a palmar portion that covers a palm; and afinger portion that covers fingers, wherein said leather member isdisposed on at least part of a palmar side of said finger portion and inat least part of said palmar portion.
 3. The sports glove according toclaim 1, comprising a palmar portion that covers a palm, wherein saidleather member is disposed on at least part of said palmar portion. 4.The sports glove according to claim 1, wherein a stitch is formed onsaid leather member.
 5. The sports glove according to claim 4, whereinsaid stitch is formed so as to be gradually brought closer to a wristfrom a thumb toward a little finger on said leather member.
 6. Thesports glove according to claim 1, comprising a finger portion thatcovers fingers, wherein said leather member is disposed on at least partof a palmar side of said finger portion.
 7. The sports glove accordingto claim 6, wherein a stitch is formed on said leather member.
 8. Thesports glove according to claim 7, wherein said stitch is formed so asto be extended in a direction intersecting an extended direction of saidfinger portion on said leather member.